SeaWorld Orlando Officially Announces Phased Reopening Plan

With the coronavirus pandemic beginning to subside in parts of the world, SeaWorld Orlando has announced that it will be reopening to the public on Thursday, June 11th. Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove will also resume operations on June 11th, with all attractions coming with capacity limitations and "enhanced health and safety protocols." Virtually all amusement parks around the world closed their doors this past March, with international attractions beginning to resume operations last month. Given that these reopenings are only in their early stages, it's unclear how long these tentative openings with limited capacity will continue before the parks will be able to reevaluate longer-term plans.

Per press release, "SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., one of the world's leading theme park and entertainment companies, announced today a phased reopening (with capacity limitations) of SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, and Discovery Cove on June 11, 2020. The reopening of the parks will include enhanced health and safety protocols for cleaning and sanitizing, physical distancing, face-covering requirements, and temperature screening. A new online reservation system will also help manage capacity so that guests can enjoy a safe and fun experience while maintaining physical distancing. The phased reopening plan was approved by the State of Florida."

"We thank Governor DeSantis, Orange County Mayor Demings, Orlando Mayor Dyer, and the members of the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force for their support of tourism in Central Florida as we prepare to reopen our Orlando parks to the public on June 11th," Marc Swanson, interim CEO of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., shared in the statement. "Over the past two months, we have worked with state and local health officials, third party medical and epidemiology experts, and attraction industry leaders to enhance our strict health, safety, and cleanliness standards. We are committed to the health and safety of our guests, employees, and animals in our care, and will continue to follow the guidance of health officials as conditions evolve."

"We couldn't be more excited to reopen our three Orlando parks - SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove," Kyle Miller, president of SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, Discovery Cove, added in the statement. "We know our guests are anxious to return, and we're working hard to provide a safe environment so they can enjoy many more memorable experiences with us and their friends and family."

In order to monitor attendance numbers, all guests will be required to complete reservations for entry through an online portal that launches on June 8th at 10 a.m. ET.

You can learn more about the reopening by heading to SeaWorld.com/Orlando, Aquatica.com/Orlando, and DiscoveryCove.com.

Are you glad to see the park reopening? Let us know in the comments below!